Despite being a shit show of a year one good thing happened - the real stars of the last 12 months were brilliant women all over 40. While it’s true that 2020 has been the worst year of most of our lives there has been a little silver lining in the grey cloud of the pandemic. We’ve been confined to our homes yet we’ve seen how women, and women over 40 in particular, have stepped into the light this year.

From current world leaders like Jacinda Ardern to future powerhouses like Kamala Harris, the demeanour and actions of women in power have been in almost total opposition to the bumbling and, often criminally negligent behaviour of some of their global counterparts.

On TV too (and let’s be honest, we’ve watched a lot of TV), women in their midlife were the stars of some of the biggest programmes of the year. Let’s take a look at some of the Magnificent Midlifers that made us proud in 2020:

US Election

Kamala Harris

It’s been a difficult year for the United States. Racial tensions, Covid-19 and the Presidential Election have culminated in an America that feels on the edge. Thanks to the efforts of some brilliant women, there now feels like there is some hope on the horizon. Fifty-six-year-old Kamala Harris is soon to be the first female, first black and first South Asian Vice President of the United States. The way she conducted herself throughout the campaign was wonderful. She was warm, she was funny, she was tough and empathetic. During her debate with Mike Pence, she had to remind him multiple times that she was speaking but she did so calmly, with a smile in a way that is all too recognisable to so many women. As we all know, a woman who is forceful is shrill, emotional and or rude but Kamala was none of those things, both expertly silenced the Vice President and ensuring she was heard. We can’t wait to see what she does next.

Stacey Abrams

It would be impossible to mention the Election without bowing down to Stacey Abrams. The 47-year-old Democrat and voting activist is said to have single-handedly delivered Georgia for Joe Biden. She and a small team registered more than 800,000 voters ahead of the Election. Her activism and passion is a thing of beauty and she will go on to greatness.

Dr Jill Biden

Dr Jill Biden, 69, is an educator, a charity president and soon to be First Lady of the United States. She was the focus of some negative attention recently when the academic Joseph Epstien wrote in a column in the Wall Street Journal “Madame First Lady – Mrs Biden – Jill – Kiddo. Any chance you might drop the Dr before your name?” He was roundly vilified for his sexist, outdated, patronising comments but Dr Jill in her ever-classy manor simply tweeted “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.” Here is an independent, career-driven First Lady we can all appreciate.

Women of Influence

Jacinda Ardern

Jacinda Ardern is the 40-year-old Prime Minister of New Zealand. Anyone who has seen the video of her press conference that was hijacked by an earthquake will know that her leadership style is calmness under pressure. This year, as she led her country through the pandemic, her decisiveness, empathy and the esteem in which her country hold her meant that New Zealand’s efforts to flatten the curve were some of the most successful in the world. She’s the type of leader we’d all like to have.

Caron McCaffrey

Caron McCaffrey became the first woman to run the Irish Prison Service when she was appointed Director-General in 2018. A huge job, Caron oversees more than 3,000 staff, over 4,000 prisoners and a €300 million-plus budget. This year she and her team managed to keep the prison system completely Covid19 free until late August, an amazing feat when you consider that most residential facilities were recording cases in the spring.

Vicky Phelan

Vicky Phelan took on another cause this year as she appealed to TDs in the Dáil to approve a bill seeking to allow terminally ill people to end their own lives. “What I am asking for,” she said, “is to be given a choice.” Those words, after everything she has already faced, are heartbreaking, but as always Vicky was thinking beyond herself, instead of the others the Dying with Dignity Bill would help in the future. Though we wish she didn’t have to be well known or suffer so much, her bravery, strength and courage is an example to us all.

On the Screen

Gillian Anderson

As everyone waited for the new season of The Crown all eyes were on the young actress set to play Princess Diana but as it premiered on Netflix it quickly became clear that the real star of the show was the magnificent Gillian Anderson who transformed herself into the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher. The scenes between herself and Olivia Coleman were some of the best TV ever, never mind in 2020.

Paving the way

But Gillian and Olivia weren’t the only two actresses in their midlife ruling our screens this year. Nicole Kidman in The Undoing, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in The Morning Show and Monica Aldama from Cheer (yes that was this year, unfathomable isn’t it?) brought their 40+-year-old star power to the biggest shows of the year. Normal People and The Queen’s Gambit both warrant a shoutout because even though their female stars were not in their midlife, they showed women as autonomous, lead characters and that simply has to be celebrated.

We’re also pretty excited about Bridgerton which starts on Netflix on Christmas Day and is a period drama reimagined by the phenomenal Shonda Rhimes. Think Pride and Prejudice meets Scandal meets Grey’s Anatomy. What’s not to love there!

Jennifer Stevens, December 2020